


Come A Little Closer

by tekhartha



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gender-neutral Reader, Hurt/Comfort, Other, some mild anti-omnic stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 09:52:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13144179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tekhartha/pseuds/tekhartha
Summary: Five times you wanted to hug Zen and one time you actually did.





	1. ONE - I’m Just Looking At You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Zen and there aren't enough stories about him in my opinion, so I thought I'd try to be the change I want to see in the world! haha It's been a long time since I've actually finished a story, so I'm sorry if this isn't the best, but I'm relatively happy with how it came out.  
> The story title + chapter titles are all from TWICE's LIKEY (which is a really catchy song, I highly recommend it!)~  
> Feel free to point out any mistakes btw! & Enjoy!!

You knew this had been a bad idea. An extremely bad, terrible idea. Now here you were, sitting on the tiny couch and hiding behind your hands. Knees drawn up to your chest, you chanced a glance at the TV screen.

Currently nothing too scary was happening, but you had heard of this movie and you knew it was supposed to have a lot of jumpscares. The only reason why you had agreed to watch it, was because of Hana’s doe-eyed pout. You just couldn’t resist her when she looked at you like that and she knew it very well.

So, that’s why you were here, having a thoroughly bad time watching this horror movie with your friends. 

To your left Lena was chewing popcorn, eyes transfixed on the screen, blindly reaching into the bowl to grab more popcorn. At least  _ she _ seemed to be enjoying the movie. Admittedly, everyone else was just as taken with what was happening on the screen and if you hadn’t been such a scaredy cat, you probably would’ve felt the same way.

Lost in thought, you lowered your hands just to immediately regret your carelessness as a particularly loud jumpscare filled the screen all of a sudden. With a quiet shriek you buried your head in your knees once again. God, you really hated this.

A soft hum to your right caught your attention and when you looked over, you noticed Zenyatta tilt his head slightly. He still seemed to be looking at the TV, where another jumpscare popped up. He hummed again and you felt a small smile creep onto your face.

Was he confused? 

Glad to have found something to distract you from the movie, you watched your friend for a few minutes. With every scare he looked more confused, occasionally looking at the people around him as they gasped and jumped in their seats. Eventually you leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Are you okay?” You whispered, giving him a small smile.

“I am, thank you.” He replied and after a moment he added, “But I don’t quite understand the purpose of this film. Why do people enjoy being afraid like this?”

You grinned at him and shrugged. “I don’t get it either.”

“Ah, so we have something in common, then.” He said and the smile was apparent in his voice. “This movie seems to affect you quite a bit, I’m sure no one would mind if you excused yourself.”

“It’s all right, Zen. But thanks for worrying about me.” You assured him, touched by his thoughtfulness. 

The two of you lapsed into a comfortable silence and went back to watching the movie (or hiding behind your hands in your case). 

After a few minutes, you noticed a distinct lack of jumpscares and slowly looked at the screen to try and follow the plot again. Not like there was a lot of story to begin with, but hey, everything was better than those mindless scares. The young adults in the movie seemed to be very good at making stupid decisions and you rolled your eyes as they decided to split up. Yeah, this movie was truly innovative and groundbreaking.

You almost sighed when they entered the creepy run down tunnels they randomly found in the woods. At this point you almost hoped they would get murdered by some monster or another as soon as possible, so this terrible movie would finally be over. However, your wish didn’t come true and instead you got served another jumpscare.

This one was the worst so far, making you actually physically jump in your seat. Thankfully your shriek was lost in between the gasps and startled screams of your friends. You covered your eyes once more and whimpered when you heard the protagonists of the movie get brutally murdered.

Your fear was interrupted by Zenyatta, who laid a gentle hand on your arm.

“Don’t be afraid, you’re not alone.” He reassured you.

You looked over at him and were almost overwhelmed with how calm and peaceful he made you feel. You swallowed a gasp and he squeezed your arm affectionately. Suddenly you felt the strong desire to wrap your arms around his waist and bury your face in his chestplate. 

_ How selfish. _ You thought and shook your head to yourself before turning to him.

“Thanks…” You mumbled. “Maybe I should get some fresh air.”

Without waiting for an answer, you got to your feet and threw a last thankful smile over your shoulder at Zen before leaving the room. No one else noticed with how engrossed in the movie they all were.

As soon as the door shut behind you, you leaned against the wall, clutching your chest. Your heart hammered loudly as the memory of Zenyatta speaking to you in his gentle voice played in your mind over and over again.

_ Fuck. _


	2. TWO - I Feel Down Today

With a tired sigh you sank down on the couch of the common room. Next to you Jesse was fast asleep and behind you in the kitchen area Hana and Lúcio were discussing a new video game.

It was incredible how full of energy they were, even right after returning from a mission. In contrast, all you wanted to do was sleep. Preferably forever.

You turned your attention away from your friends and stared blankly at the TV on the wall across from you. Some kids’ cartoon was playing and at the sound of the shrill voices you reached over and turned down the volume. A loud snore from Jesse made you grin as your eyes slowly closed and your mind started drifting away from reality. Just when you were about to doze off, a loud noise startled you fully awake again. Looking over your shoulder, you noticed Reinhardt had entered the room.

“My friends! I'm glad you all have returned from the mission unscathed!” He announced with a big smile and you found yourself smiling back at him.

He looked around the room and spotted Jesse’s sleeping form on the couch, before turning to Hana and Lúcio.

“You should get some rest as well. Build up your strength, so you can fight well in your next mission.” He told them enthusiastically.

“Maybe later, old man.” Hana rolled her eyes, but smiled warmly at Reinhardt. “First we need to try out this new game!”

Reinhardt perked up at that and you had to suppress a giggle at the look of pure joy on his face. At some point it had become a sort of ritual for Reinhardt to sit and watch Hana play games. You suspected that he watched her live streams as well, but was too embarrassed to admit it.

“May I join you?” He asked timidly and Hana giggled. Lúcio nodded in confirmation.

“Sure thing, Reinhardt.” He assured him and the three of them started making their way towards Hana’s room.

“You wanna come too?” Hana asked you as they passed the couch.

“Nah, thanks. I'm about ready to pass out. Have fun!” You said, smiling at them sleepily.

“Thanks!” Hana grinned and Reinhardt patted you on the shoulder before following his younger friends.

With the room deserted except for you and Jesse, your exhaustion overcame you once again. Before you could fall asleep, you got up to grab a blanket from a pile next to the sofa. After a moment, you picked up a second blanket and walked over to drape it over Jesse who mumbled in his sleep quietly. With a soft smile, you turned around to walk back to your spot on the couch, but stopped in your tracks when you noticed Zenyatta entering the room.

He usually walked around the base, but today he was floating like he normally only did on missions. Your frown only deepened when he floated past without noticing you and settled down in a plushy armchair by the window. For a moment you wondered if you should just leave him alone, but his behaviour worried you, so you walked over and stopped next to him.

“Zen?” You asked gently and the omnic jerked and turned to you. You smiled apologetically.

“Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you approach. I was lost in thought, it seems…” He said, his gaze returning to the window.

“You didn't see me when you entered either.” You teased, but he only hummed in reply. When he didn't say anything else, you spoke again. “May I sit with you?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, of course.” He replied, but he still seemed to be miles away.

Dragging an armchair closer, you took a seat next to your friend. You wouldn't have minded the comfortable silence in any other situation, but there was something unnerving about Zenyatta being so beside himself. In the months you had known him, he had always been attentive and positive. One of his strongest qualities was his ability to read other people's emotions and make them feel better with his gentle words. Whatever was bothering Zenyatta today, it made you seriously worry.

After a few minutes of silence, you couldn't take it anymore, you turned to him and fixed him with worried eyes.

“Zen, are you all right?” You asked quietly and after a moment he turned to you.

“What… oh, yes. Do not worry about me.” He replied and turned back to the window. You shook your head.

“That's obviously not true. It's okay if you don't wanna talk about it, but something is bothering you and I'd like to help. If you'd let me?” You said gently.

He sighed.

“You're too kind, my friend. If you're quite sure…” He asked and you gave one sharp nod. “It’s actually easy to explain, but hard to talk about.”

He fumbled with his hands in his lap, something you had never seen him do. Before you could stop yourself, you had reached over and placed your hand on top of his, squeezing gently.

“Today, exactly one year ago, Mondatta got killed. I know it shouldn't be significant, I've missed him every day of my life since he left us, but for some reason the fact that it's been exactly a year, makes me feel even more sad. I've been unable to think of anything else all day… it has been overwhelming.” He said and sighed sadly, making your heart ache in empathy.

You had never known Mondatta, but you knew that he had been like a brother to Zenyatta and you could only guess how painful it must be to lose a sibling. The fact that you had never seen Zenyatta this sad, spoke volumes about how much this affected him.

“Oh, Zen… I'm so sorry.” You muttered. In that moment, you wanted nothing more than to put your arms around him and hug him tightly for a few minutes or an hour. Just hold him and make sure he wouldn't feel so alone in his grief.

But you weren't sure if he would be okay with that. You had never seen him initiate physical contact other than laying a hand on someone's arm or shoulder. What if physical contact made him uncomfortable and he didn't like to be touched? He seemed to be fine with you covering his hands with yours, but you didn't want to overwhelm him with a full-blown hug. The most sensible way would've probably been to just ask him, but the thought alone made your heart do cartwheels in your chest.

So, you just squeezed his hands again and smiled gently.

“What was he like? I've heard a lot about him, but you probably knew him better than anyone else.” You asked. Thankfully, Zen perked up at that, a low hum coming from him.

“He was a wonderful person. One day I hope to be as compassionate and headstrong as he was.” He said, a smile in his voice.

“Zen, you're already the kindest person I know…” You chuckled. He tilted his head ever so slightly.

“That is strange, since you know yourself.” He stated matter of factly and it took your brain a few seconds to catch up on what he had just said. When you finally realised, you could feel the warmth in your cheeks, looking away bashfully.

“Thanks.” You muttered, making Zenyatta chuckle lightly. The sound only made you blush harder.

“And I thank you as well.” He replied, voice full of affection that made your chest tighten.

“Tell me more about Mondatta!” You blurted in an attempt to smoothly change the topic. Very smooth indeed.

“What would you like to know?”

 

You spent the next hour just talking to Zenyatta about Mondatta and you were glad to see that he seemed to be feeling better. Apparently you had successfully cheered him up and for that you were grateful.

Eventually, the exhaustion from your mission caught up to you and your eyelids started to feel heavy. You weren't quite ready to leave though, enjoying the pleasant conversation with your friend.

At some point you must've just fallen asleep after all, because when you woke up in the middle of the night, a blanket had been draped over you and the seat next to you was empty. You looked around and found the room deserted, even McCree must've left at some point. When you stood up a piece of paper fluttered to the ground, so you picked it up in confusion, staring at it blearily.

 

_Thank you for spending time with me today. Your presence and words truly made me feel much better. I am forever grateful to call you my friend._

 -  _ _Zenyatta__

  

You smiled at the beautiful handwriting, tears prickling in the corners of your eyes. How did you deserve to be friends with someone this perfect?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know: the chapters keep getting longer bc I can't control myself, apparently lol


	3. THREE - My Heart’s Fluttering

You couldn't believe you had forgotten about your own birthday. What the hell!?

If your six year old self knew about this, they would surely kick your butt. As it happened though, no one was here to kick your butt, because none of your friends knew it was your birthday either.

You honestly didn't mind all that much, birthdays had lost their excitement many years ago, but it still felt strange to just ignore the occasion. Putting down your communicator, you stared at your wall for a few moments, lost in thought. Setting out to find your friends just to tell them it was your birthday, didn't sound like a very elegant solution to this problem. They would only be shocked and Lena would probably freak out trying to organise an impromptu birthday party. No, it would probably be better to leave them in the dark. 

So now only you yourself needed to be able to ignore what day it was. Sitting alone in your room and browsing the internet probably didn't make it any easier, so you decided to go for a jog around the base.

Pulling on a hoodie and grabbing your water bottle, you left your room and made your way towards one of the exits. 

The base sat secluded at the side of a rock, far off from any kind of civilization and hard to reach by car. That also meant that the landscape surrounding the base was beautiful and mostly untouched. There was a lush forest not far away, but sadly too far to walk to, so you settled for just jogging along the river that cut through the landscape right by the base. Quickly, you weaseled between the crates and vehicles in the open hangar and stepped out into the cool afternoon breeze.

 

An hour later you sat down on a rock by the river to catch your breath. You were on your way back already, but you needed another break.

Watching the water bubble happily, birds singing in the distance, you concentrated on calming your erratic breathing. After a few minutes, when you were about to get up and make your way back to the base, the sound of a twig breaking made you spin around. A surprised gasp escaped you, when you found Zenyatta standing a few metres away.

“Ah. I apologise, I didn't mean to sneak up on you, but you looked so calm and peaceful.” He explained warmly.

“It's pretty here.” You smiled, turning back to the river. You felt Zen come to a halt next to you, so you scooted over and made room for him to sit on the rock with you.

“It is. I come here often to find some quiet to meditate.” He explained. Sitting down, he turned his head slightly to look at you. “What's on your mind? You look… wistful.”

You smiled, but felt a blush creep into your cheeks at how he looked through you so easily. Your blush only deepened, when you noticed how close he was to you.

“Well, I don't know… I just, I…” You fumbled for words. Eventually you sighed. “It's my birthday today and I forgot about it.”

“Oh.” He said and you chuckled. “I believe congratulations are in order! Happy birthday, my friend.”

“Thanks, Zen.”

“Are you sad about it being your birthday, or about having forgotten about it?” He asked and you contemplated the question for a moment.

“Maybe a bit of both? I'm not really sad, it just feels strange that something I used to love is not important anymore.” You shrugged.

“I understand. Would you like me to tell the others? Or do you prefer to keep it a secret between the two of us?” He asked, the mischief in his voice making you laugh.

“Yeah, let's keep it a secret. I'll just make sure to tell them on time next year.” You decided.

“That seems reasonable. If you would excuse me, there's something I need to take care of. I will see you soon, my friend.” He got up and rested his hand on your shoulder reassuringly.

“Thank you. You made me feel much better!” You smiled up at him. 

“You're quite welcome.”

 

With a yawn, you sat down on your bed. Your little trip outside had tired you out and the hot shower you had just taken had only made you more sleepy. You looked out of the small window and realised that the sun had already dipped below the horizon, the last clouds illuminated in its beautiful red light.

Maybe you should grab dinner? You didn't feel hungry yet though, so you decided to read the file for an upcoming mission. It sounded like a pretty straightforward mission, but there were always things that could go wrong, so you made a point to read the file as thoroughly as possible.

When you next looked up at the clock two hours had passed and your stomach growled unhappily.

“Okay, okay.” You sighed and put away the file. It was pretty late already, but there were probably some leftovers in the fridge. Or you could just have some toast, or maybe a pizza! Wow, now that you thought about it, you were really hungry.

A frown crept onto your face when you saw that the lights in the common room were still on. Usually when someone (Genji) was still hanging out there at this hour, they (Genji) turned off the lights to watch TV. Maybe Fareeha and Jesse were playing cards again?

The door opened automatically with a soft whirr when you approached it, so you quietly entered, looking around to see if anyone was there. Suddenly you noticed the delicious smell of freshly baked cake. Your stomach growled again.

“Seems like I had the right idea.” A familiar mechanical voice said to your right and you spun around to find Zenyatta standing by an armchair.

You stared at him wide-eyed in confusion, making him chuckle. To your surprise he walked towards you, stopping at your side and taking your hand in his. Your heart hammered while he lead you towards the kitchen. As you approached the counter, you noticed a small, round cake on it. Zenyatta let go of your hand to light the candle on it.

“I hope this is all right. I wasn't sure if you wanted to celebrate at all, but I was sure a cake wouldn't hurt.” He explained looking between you and the pastry.

You stepped closer and smiled.

“Happy Birthday ❤” the frosting read and you recognised Zen’s neat handwriting. All of a sudden, your cheeks felt hot and when you reached up, your fingers came back wet. You sniffled, rubbing at your eye furiously.

“Y-You're way too, too nice to me.” You muttered, smiling at Zenyatta, who looked confused and surprised at your sudden outbreak.

“That's very much untrue. I'm just treating you with the kindness you deserve.” He said.

Suddenly you were once again overwhelmed with the urge to embrace your friend tightly. Your fingers twitched as you fought to hold back. 

You couldn't, but you wanted to. You wanted to, so badly.

Forcing your attention back towards the cake, you smiled and leaned over to blow out the candle.

_ I wish I could tell Zen how I feel. _ You thought as the flame flickered and went out.

“Did you make a wish?” Zen asked and you nodded in reply. “Good. Would you like to try a piece? I hope it doesn't taste horrible…”

“I'm sure it doesn't.” You smiled. Grabbing a knife from a drawer, you neatly cut out a piece, destroying the icing in the process.

“A shame, it looked so pretty.” You muttered and Zen hummed. “I wish you could have some, I always feel bad about eating in front of you”

“There's no need, but that's very considerate of you.” He said. The two of you took a seat at the counter. You could feel Zenyatta’s eyes on you, when you shoved the first forkful of cake into your mouth and started chewing. After a few seconds you sighed happily.

“This is heavenly, Zen. Maybe you should give up Overwatch and open a bakery instead.” You took another bite and barely managed to suppress a moan.

“Thank you! But I merely followed the recipe.” He chuckled.

“Don't sell yourself short, a lot of people can't even do that!” You laughed and Zen joined in easily. You took another bite. God, it just kept getting better the more you ate. Suddenly, you looked down and your piece was all gone, so without thinking about it, you reached over and cut off another piece from the cake.

“I'm glad to see you enjoy my work.” Zenyatta said, gaze still fixed on you, head tilted in amusement.

“Now you wish you could have some, don't you?” You teased between bites. He laughed and the sound gave you heart palpitations.


	4. FOUR - Please Know My Heart

You looked up at the huge wooden gates in awe. You had known Genji and Hanzo’s family was very influential, but you didn’t expect them to own a home this impressive. The brothers were here on some personal business and a few members of the Overwatch team had tagged along to have a look around Hanamura. It was a fairly large city, but the small alleys and shops were surprisingly charming.

“We hopefully won’t need more than a few hours.” Genji informed the rest of you when you exited the ship. “Maybe we can have dinner all together? I know the best okonomiyaki place in the neighbourhood.”

“Ohhh, yes please!” Hana perked up from where she and Lena had been studying the map. “I’ve always wanted to try that.”

“We should go.” Hanzo grumbled, turning to enter their family’s estate. Genji sighed, but followed him with a last wave towards the rest of you.

“Let’s go check out the shopping district!” Lena grinned and Hana and Lúcio agreed excitedly. You chuckled at their enthusiasm, before turning to look at Zen to your left. Except he wasn’t there.

“Zenyatta?” You called, looking around in confusion. Suddenly you spotted him in front of a shop a few houses down the road.

“Go on ahead, guys. We’ll catch up with you.” You told your friends and they agreed, but you didn’t miss the knowing smile Hana threw your way. With a sigh, you made your way over to Zenyatta, coming to a halt next to him.

“Yukata?” You asked when you spotted the colourful garments in the window.

“Hmm, they are quite beautiful.” He replied. His gaze was fixed on a dark red yukata with a playful cherry blossom pattern. For a moment you looked back and forth between the window and your friend.

“I’m sure it would look very nice on you.” You told him and the thought of Zenyatta wearing a yukata almost made you blush. God, he’d look amazing.

“Oh, that’s very kind of you.” He chuckled. Finally, he tore his gaze away from the shop and looked at you. “But I certainly wouldn’t find an occasion to wear something this beautiful.”

He suddenly seemed to realise your friends were nowhere in sight, startling slightly.

“How inconsiderate of me to wander off on my own, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry. Let’s catch up with the others, yeah?” You assured him. Quickly, you sent the others a text on the Overwatch issued communicator and the two of you started heading towards the center of town.

You made pleasant small talk while walking, stopping here and there to look at a shop or pet a friendly neighbourhood cat. The way Zenyatta seemed to light up whenever he spotted a cat, made you smile uncontrollably. 

“Hello, my friend.” He cooed at yet another cat, who immediately dropped down in front of him, expecting to be petted. Zenyatta obliged happily and gently ran his hand through its fur. You wondered if his fingers would be as gentle on your skin, but you quickly shook your head to dismiss your inappropriate thoughts.

Squatting down next to Zen, you too reached out to pet the soft cat and it meowed happily as it probably felt like it was being treated like royalty. While you smiled down at the little creature, you didn't notice the three men approaching you and Zenyatta.

“Hey, sweetheart!” One of them called out to you and you spun around on high alert.

“Why are you hanging out with that piece of scrap metal, huh? You should come with us instead, I promise we have more to offer than that tin can.”

The sleazy grin on the man's face made you shudder. You chanced a look at the other two men and they looked just as intimidating as what you assumed was their leader. All three of them carried baseball bats, that had been decorated with barbed wire and nails.

You took a deep breath and stood up fully, positioning yourself between Zenyatta and the men.

“I highly doubt it. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have places to be.” You informed them, doing your best to keep your voice steady. The grin on the leader’s face grew even wider at your words and he lazily swung his bat around his legs.

“I don't think so, sweetie. I gave you a choice, but it seems like you're one of those filthy robot-fuckers, so I think I'll just let you watch when we beat that tin can to pieces.” He snarled, swaggering towards you. 

Instinctively, you stepped back, only for your back to hit Zenyatta’s chest after a few steps. His hands came to rest on your arms and he moved you aside until you stood behind him instead.

“I do not think you really know what you're getting yourself into, my friend.” He said softly, but there was a definite threat in his voice. “Maybe you should rethink your decisions and turn around and leave us alone instead.”

The man laughed suddenly.

“You really wanna get your head bashed in, don't you?” He growled and by now he had almost reached Zenyatta. He raised his bat high over his head and grinned. “I'll make it especially painful just for y-"

Suddenly a shiny form swiftly jumped between the man and Zenyatta and by the time you realised what had happened, the man was lying on the ground unconsciously. Genji towered over him, pressing a foot into his back.

When you looked up, you noticed Hanzo pointing his drawn bow at the other two men, who had dropped their bats in fear.

“Master! I had a feeling something was wrong and it seems my hunch was correct.” Genji spoke after a moment. He walked over to Zenyatta and looked him up and down. “I'm glad you are alright.”

“I appreciate your intervention, Genji, but do not think I could not have handled this on my own.” Zenyatta said, making Genji chuckle.

“I know, master.” He replied and then turned to you. “You aren't hurt either, are you?”

You stared at him wide-eyed for a few seconds, before you were able to process his words. 

“Uhm, yeah, I'm okay… just, fine.” You muttered, anxiously looking around the alley. “A bit shaken.”

All of a sudden, the full force of the situation hit you and your eyes snapped to Zenyatta.

Zenyatta who had stood in front of you even though these men had made their intend to hurt him very clear.

Zenyatta who had kept his cool in the eye of a terrible situation.

Zenyatta who had literally been threatened with death, but didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

A horrible thought came to you then. What if he was already used to these kinds of threats because they had been flung at him so many times he had lost count? Your heart stung uncomfortably in your chest at the thought and you felt the urge to comfort your friend. To make sure he was okay, not just physically, but mentally. 

You were halfway through the motion of moving in to hug Zenyatta tightly, when you realised what kind of person he was. There was probably no one else on this planet, who was as in harmony with himself and his feelings as Zenyatta was. It was much more likely that he had trained himself to let threats and insults bounce off of him. He most likely even felt pity towards these men who had threatened his life.

With this realisation, you suddenly admired Zenyatta even more than you previously had, if that was even possible at all.

Your hand landed on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. Zen turned to you, humming and inclining his head at you in a gesture you had come to recognise as a smile.

“Are you alright? You look a bit pale, my friend. Maybe we should head back to the ship.” He asked and you nodded.

“Yeah, good idea.” Turning to Genji you added, “Thanks for the help again. I really owe you, Genji.”

He laughed at you good-naturedly, clapping you on the back.

“Make me some more of those cupcakes you made a while ago and we're even.” He said, making you snicker. But you had actually been planning on baking them again anyway and you didn't mind sharing.

 

“Here you go.” Zen’s smooth voice reached your ears. Looking up, you took the cup from him. 

The tea smelled lovely and soft, like spring flowers. The scent made your head feel a bit lighter and your limbs more relaxed.

“Thank you.” You watched Zen sit down across from you. “Can I do anything for you?”

He chuckled and shook his head.

“That's very kind of you, but I'm quite alright. I'm just relieved you didn't get hurt.” He explained.

You felt your cheeks redden at his words, so you stared down at your tea hoping to hide your face.

“I'm glad you're okay too, Zen.” You muttered. “I got really scared when that guy came at you.”

You shuddered at the thought of him standing over Zenyatta, bat raised and ready to hurt your friend. While you were unsure how much physical damage an Omnic could withstand, you didn't exactly want to find out either. 

As if sensing your troubling thoughts, Zenyatta reached across the table and placed his hand on top of yours, gently running his thumb over your knuckles.“There's no need to worry anymore. I'm right here and I'm unharmed, so let's not dwell on what could've been and focus on the here and now instead.” He said and his soothing voice made you relax immediately.

“You're right. Thanks, Zen.” You smiled at him, face slightly flushed from his delicate touch. “I'm not sure what I'd do without you.”


	5. FIVE - I Don’t Wanna Hide It Anymore

“Agent down!” The gruff voice of Soldier 76 reached your ears and your heart sank.

Hana, Genji, and Zenyatta had been sent out on a mission in Dorado a few hours ago. It was supposed to be an easy task, just protect an omnic ambassador and keep an eye out for Talon agents. No one actually expected Talon to intervene, the Overwatch presence was more of a precaution, but as it had happened so many times before Talon had attempted to assassinate the ambassador. Luckily, Hana had reacted quickly and protected them from the oncoming harm.

To no one's surprise Talon hadn't retreated and had instead opened fire on the Overwatch agents.

You had been sitting alone in your room, worried for your friends’ safety, until you got fed up and made your way to the meeting room that was being used as a mission control centre. You entered the room just when Soldier 76 yelled about an agent being down, making a cold shower run down your back.

“Retreat immediately.” Soldier barked out, pacing along the table.

No one in the room had made note of your presence yet, but suddenly Captain Amari’s attention snapped to you. She approached you with a kind expression, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“You shouldn't be here, it will only make you worry more.” She spoke in a hushed tone. You had trouble concentrating on her words over Soldier’s booming voice and your spinning head, but you nodded numbly.

“Go on, now. Try and distract yourself. I'll send you a message on your communicator when they're on their way back.” She gave you a soft smile.

“Thank you, Captain.” You muttered, slowly turning away from her and starting to make your way back to your room.

 

You were unable to do anything but sit on your bed and stare at the wall, anxiety eating away at you. You tried your best to steer your thoughts away from ‘what-if-s’, but it wasn't easy. When the communicator in your hands finally beeped, you jumped up immediately, hurrying towards the hangar. Clumsily you opened Ana’s message while running.

_On the way. ETA 5 min._

You breathed out a sigh of relief at the revelation that you wouldn't have to wait much longer. As expected, you arrived at the hangar with two minutes to spare. You leaned against a crate, staring up at the hangar doors, just to push off the crate and start pacing a moment later. You checked your watch. This was taking too long.

You did your best to take your mind off things, reassuring yourself that everything would be okay, that no one got seriously hurt and that you were currently driving yourself mad for no reason whatsoever.

After a few more seconds of worried pacing back and forth, your attention was suddenly drawn to Angela, who entered the hangar with a stretcher and a handful of nurses on her heels. This was the opposite of good. You glanced over at the medical instruments they had brought, but before you had time to wonder what they were being used for, the deafening roar of an air ship’s engines made your heart hammer in your chest.

The ship landed swiftly and as soon as the door opened, Angela and her nurses rushed towards it and vanished inside. You tentatively took a few steps closer, trying to peer past the people and get a glimpse of your friends.

“I'm fine, don't worry about me. Worry about him!” Hana’s shrill voice reached your ears and a moment later, she jumped out of the ship. Her gaze landed on you, eyes widening.

Before you could realise what was happening, she had thrown herself at you, squeezing you tightly.

“W-what happened?” You asked, your voice shaking from anxiety.

“It all went south… we thought it was going well, but suddenly those Talon people were all over the place and we didn't know what to do, so we tried to get out of there. Genji and I are quick, but Zenyatta fell behind and he got hit a few times… Athena said he's stable, but we had to carry him back to the ship and he didn't wake up once the entire time…” She sighed, squeezing you again before pulling back. “I'm so sorry. I'm sure he'll be fine, but I feel like I should've done more to protect him.”

You stared at her for a moment, trying to sort through your emotions, until finally you shook your head.

“It's not your fault, Hana. He can handle himself just fine, but you guys were outnumbered.” You attempted to give her a small smile. “But why are you apologising to me? It's not like I have any authority in this situation.” You joked.

“Don't be silly, I know you like him.” Hana smiled sadly. “I've seen the way you look at him… he looks at you like that too, you know.”

You could feel your face heat up, so you quickly averted your eyes and shook your head. Hana snickered, but your conversation was cut short, when you caught sight of Zenyatta inside the ship. He was on the stretcher, looking unmoving and lifeless. Your breath hitched and you felt hot tears well up in your eyes.

Hana followed your gaze and sighed again.

“Wait here, I'll ask Angela how he is.” She gave you an encouraging thumbs-up and dashed off into the ship. For a moment you just let yourself embrace the pain in your chest and let your tears run freely, a choked sob escaping your lips. Then you took a deep breath, wiped your eyes and told yourself that everything would be fine.

“Hey.” Hana called out as she jogged back to your side. You were surprised to see she had Genji in tow. He nodded at you in greeting, but Hana drew your attention before you could talk to him.

“Angela said he'll be fine. His arm is busted and his systems shut down because he short-circuited, but it's nothing that can't be fixed within a few days, maybe a few weeks at most.”

“Okay.” You sighed. “Okay. That's good. Thanks, Hana.”

She pulled you into another hug and when she stepped back, you gasped when Genji did the same. He hugged you a bit too tightly, but you thought that he must be just as worried about his Master and friend as you were.

“You're not hurt?” You asked when he pulled back.

“No. Nothing an hour in Torbjörn’s workshop can't fix, anyway.” He said, before turning to Hana. “We should go ahead to the medbay, so we're not in the way when they take Zenyatta over there.”

  


Staring at your feet anxiously, you were seated at the medbay. Angela had informed you it would take a while before they would be able to boot up Zenyatta’s systems again, but you had stayed.

Hana had excused herself at some point and you couldn't blame her with how tired she looked. Genji was currently stretched out on the bench next to you, sleeping soundly. When you heard footsteps approach, your head snapped up and you were relieved to finally see Angela head your way, a soft smile on her lips. She spotted Genji’s sleeping form and leaned down to speak in a hushed voice.

“He’s awake and stable. Fixing his arm will take a while, but at least he's not in pain. When I told him you and Genji were waiting to see him, he seemed to feel much better immediately.” She explained, before motioning for you to follow her. She didn't have to ask you twice and you almost rushed ahead, but she kept step with your pace, a smile on her face.

When she opened the door to the tiny room, your vision was blurring again, tears rolling down your cheeks. Your eyes landed on the omnic in the hospital bed, looking weirdly small.

“Zen!” You exclaimed, rushing to his side. You were about to throw your arms around him, when Angela held you back, gesturing to his right arm. It was mangled, the metal bend unnaturally and wires sticking out in weird angles.

“I can assure you, it's not as bad as it looks.” Zen said, chuckling lightly. He looked up at you, head tilted to the side. “There's no reason to cry, my friend.”

“I'll be outside if you need anything.” Angela excused herself. As soon as the door shut behind her, you sat down on the bed and reached for Zen’s hand.

“I was so worried about you.” You mumbled, running your thumb over the metal on the back of his hand. He hummed and squeezed your hand in turn.

“I'm truly sorry. I did not mean to cause you grief.” He freed himself from your grasp and gently placed his hand on your cheek, wiping at your tears. You could feel your face heat up at his soft touch, but you ignored your loudly beating heart and covered his hand with yours.

“I know… I'm so glad you're okay.” You attempted to give him a smile, but your gaze landed on his injured arm. “Did it hurt?”

“No, thankfully my pain receptors turned off before I could feel anything. It was uncomfortable, but when my systems short-circuited, it was much more unpleasant.” He said thoughtfully. “There's no need to worry though, I already feel much better. I would gladly spend the night back at my room, but Doctor Ziegler insists I stay, so I don't accidentally damage my arm further.”

You nodded and his hand dropped from your cheek as you looked over at the injured limb. If he were human he probably would've lost his arm forever, you thought.

“Would you… stay for a while?” He asked after a few moments and the hesitation in his voice made you feel warm and fuzzy inside. You nodded, smiling at him happily.

“I didn't plan on leaving any time soon, anyway.”

“I'm glad.”

You looked around the room and noted the distinct lack of heart monitors and IV drips, which made a lot of sense now that you thought about it. You really hoped Torbjörn had enough knowledge of omnics to fix Zen’s arm properly. It wasn’t like you doubted his abilities, but you knew he didn’t exactly like omnics.

Letting go of this train of thought, you looked around the room some more. In a corner you spotted a chair, so you got up to pick it up and carry it over to the bed. With a sigh, you dropped down into it. All of a sudden, you realised how tired you were, so you rested your elbows on the bed and cradled your head in your hands.

“You're tired.” Zen observed. “I know I asked you to stay, but if you're too exhausted…”

“No, it's okay. It’s not that ba-” A big yawn suddenly escaped you, making Zenyatta chuckle, but you shushed him. “I'd rather stay for a while.”

He hummed, reaching over to take your hand in his once more. Intertwining your fingers, he laid them down on the mattress comfortably.


	6. PLUS ONE - I Like You, I Can't Even Sleep

You stared out of the window of the airship, admiring the view. The snowy mountains looked beautiful as they were being illuminated by the setting sun in red and yellow hues. Just ahead you spotted a few small houses on the side of the mountain and up higher, a cluster of larger buildings: the Shambali temple.

You had been wanting to come here for years, but it hadn’t been until recently that you had had the opportunity to actually plan a trip. Zenyatta had returned to the monastery a few weeks ago, not permanently, but to meet old friends and enjoy some time back in this place that he had considered his home for many years. You yourself had gotten a few days off, so you had decided to join him, much to his delight.

“How wonderful! I can’t wait to show you around, I’m sure you will love it!” He had gushed over your video call, making you chuckle. “I can hardly wait to see you in person again, I’ve missed you.”

That had made a bright blush spread on your cheeks, but you had smiled warmly at the screen.

“I miss you too, Zen.”

Looking down at the temple now, you felt your heart beat a bit faster at the thought of what awaited you on the ground. The ship was smoothly gliding closer to your destination, ruffling trees and snow in the process and soon you felt the vehicle shake, before finally landing. You swiftly picked up your luggage and stood in front of the door with a wide grin. After a few seconds the door opened and you bounced out of the ship and into the snow. 

Staring down at the white flakes at your feet for a moment, you didn’t hear Zenyatta approach. When his feet entered your field of vision, you looked up with a bright smile, but before you could greet him, he had thrown his arms around your shoulders and pulled you into a bone-crushing hug. The air got knocked out of your lungs for a few seconds as you forgot to breathe entirely. When you regained your senses, you immediately returned the hug, burying your face in his chest. For a few minutes you just enjoyed the feeling of being held. You were surprised by how warm he felt under your touch, but at the same time you were thankful for the warmth considering your surroundings. Just as you were about to sigh and lean in more, he pulled back. You noted that he didn’t let go completely though and his arms slid down to rest on your waist instead.

“It’s so good to see you.” He said softly. You heart was still doing cartwheels in your chest, but you gave him your brightest smile. Then you thought “fuck it.” and leaned in to press a kiss to the side of his face plate.

Zenyatta’s fingers on your waist twitched and after a brief silence he broke into a joyful laugh. He pulled you against his chest once more, squeezing you tightly.

“I’m not used to receiving this kind of affection from you, but I think I wouldn’t mind receiving more of it in the future.” He told you, making you feel incredibly guilty all of a sudden. 

You had been so stupid! Why hadn’t you just hugged him all those times before? You could’ve shared dozens of hugs with your friend by now, but instead it took Zenyatta taking the initiative for the two of you to finally exchange some physical affection.

“I’m sorry…” You mumbled. Zen immediately pulled back to get a better look at your face.

“What for? I do not think you did anything wrong.” He tilted his head to the side.

Playing with the hem of your jacket nervously, you thought about what to tell him.

“It’s just… I’ve been wanting to hug you so many times before, but I always got really anxious and, ugh, it’s just so stupid.  _ I’m _ so stupid.” You cursed, your shoulders drooping.

“That is certainly not true. I know for a fact you are very intelligent, but we all have our weak spots and issues to work through. It is part of being a person, part of existing.” He took your hands in his gently. “Now, let us not dwell on what could have been and enjoy the present instead.”

He was right, you decided. There was no reason to get hung up on the past, especially when the cute omnic you were hopelessly in love with was currently holding your hands. You gave him a shy smile and nodded.

“You’re right. Thank you, Zen.” 

“You are most welcome.” He replied. Finally he let go of one of your hands, picked up your bag, and started leading you towards the monastery. “I’m sure you are tired from your journey, so let me show you to your room.”

 

Your room turned out to be right next to Zenyatta’s. The two were only divided by a sliding door, so the two of you would be able to keep it open to talk for as long as you wanted. The rooms were just about as bare as one would expect from a monastery, which is to say they didn’t contain much more than a simple bed and a small closet. A handwoven carpet laid on the floor in front of the bed and a simple oil lamp rested on a tiny sidetable next to the bed.

Zen left you to unpack your luggage while he went to fetch you some food. He returned with a full plate and a carafe that was filled to the brim with water. You took the items from him with a smile and sat on your bed to dig in. After your journey you were unsurprisingly pretty hungry and the food was delicious, so you didn’t hold back.

The mattress dipped when Zen sat down next to you, folding his legs in one practised motion. You looked over at him and found he seemed to be looking past you and out of the window. Turning around to follow his gaze, you watched the last rays of sunlight tint the mountains in a lush red before the sun dipped below the horizon.

“It’s no wonder the Shambali picked this spot to build a temple. It’s so quiet and beautiful.” You mumbled, shoving another forkful of rice into your mouth. Zenyatta hummed in agreement.

“I spent quite a lot of time enjoying the vista when I was supposed to be meditating.” He confessed, startling a laugh out of you. 

“Who would’ve thought? You’re actually quite the rebel, Zen!”

“I’ve done many things, that were much more rebellious in my youth.” He replied, smile apparent in his voice.

“Your ‘youth’? You sound like an old person. But you got me curious now… what did you do?” You wondered. Reaching over, you placed your empty plate on your nightstand before taking a sip of the water.

“I once stole a limousine.”

You choked on your water.

“You what?!” You wheezed, staring at him in shock.

“It was a long time ago, before I joined the Shambali. I was just a young omnic back then, trying to find his place in the world. I crossed paths with some bad people and ended up in a quite sticky situation. I do not want to bore you with details, but the head of an anti-omnic gang blackmailed me and I ran away from him for a very long time. Eventually, he and his goons cornered me in an old warehouse, but thanks to my quick wits I managed to steal his car and escape.” Zenyatta chuckled. “It seems like a lifetime ago now.”

“Huh.” You watched as Zen stared down at his hands in his lap, completely lost in thought. “That's not something I ever expected from you.”

“We have all been quite different people at some point in our lives, my dear. I'm sure you were once a different person as well.” 

You thought about your life before joining Overwatch, about your family and your friends, about school and jobs long forgotten. It was true, you supposed, even if you hadn't noticed yourself change, you were definitely not the same person you were just three years ago. Smiling at Zenyatta, you nodded.

“Past-Me wasn't so bad, but I think I prefer present-Me. I mean, present-Me gets to sit here on a crappy bed in Nepal with their best friend, the sweetest, kindest and cutest omnic in the universe. I wouldn't have it any other way.” You felt the embarrassment at your own words rise up inside of you, but you ignored it. You knew you had only spoken the truth and you were done being embarrassed about your feelings.

“I- that’s…” Zen stammered and you couldn’t help but smile. This was the first time you saw him lost for words and it was much more amusing than you had ever imagined. “It is factually untrue.”

“Oh, yeah?” You laughed. “I disagree. Or do you know any cuter omnics than yourself?”

“That's subjective. And besides, would you agree with me, if I told you that I think you are the cutest human?”

“Well, I- I mean, that's…” You stammered, having a hard time thinking clearly considering Zenyatta had just told you that he thought you were cute. He chuckled at your feeble attempts of finding the right words and took your hands in his.

“Let us simply accept that there is no universal truth and appreciate the other's compliment instead.”

“You're 20 years old, Zen. How on earth are you so wise?” You smiled.

“It's the Iris.” He replied dryly, making you laugh.

 

The small watch on your communicator told you it was currently 3 AM. Zen and you had talked until 1 AM, your jetlag making it easy to stay awake. Eventually Zen hat excused himself with the gentle wish of a good night,before making his way over to his room and closing the sliding door. You had followed his example and slipped into bed to get some sleep, but after lying awake for two hours, you were starting to get annoyed with yourself.

Finally, you sighed, opened up one of the games you had installed on your communicator and tapped away at the screen, hoping beyond hope that it would tire you out eventually. After half an hour you were even more awake, so you turned off your communicator with a groan. You looked over at the sliding door, wondering if you could get Zenyatta to talk to you some more. You knew he was recharging though, so you didn't want to wake him up and destroy his sleep schedule as well.

When you were still awake at 4 AM, you changed your mind and got up. As quietly as you could you made your way over to the door and slid it open before slipping through.

Zenyatta was sitting on his bed, the orbs on his forehead dim and his back leaned against the wall. You approached him carefully, unsure of what to do next.

“You are unable to fall asleep.”

You barely stopped a startled shriek from escaping you and your heart was hammering loudly in your chest.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Zen.” You muttered under your breath, clutching your chest.

“I am sorry… I did not mean to startle you. Would you like to join me?” He gestured to the bed. With a nod, you dropped down next to him, trying and failing to keep a respectable distance between you. You looked over to Zenyatta, who had turned his attention to you as well.

“Maybe this will help.” He said and one of his orbs floated over to your side, a thin string of golden light connecting it to your shoulder. A feeling of total and complete calm overcame you, as all of your worries seemed to get swept away in an instant.

“Whoa.” You whispered. Looking over at Zenyatta, your breath hitched when you saw how beautiful he looked in the warm golden light. All of the orbs around his neck were glowing now, illuminating his face in a way that made him look almost extraterrestrial. You were hit with an overwhelming feeling of love and suddenly you remembered all of those hours you had spent with Zenyatta. All of those months of wishing and hoping that one day you would be able to find the perfect moment to tell him about the way you felt. 

This was it, you realised. 

This was the perfect moment. 

You felt a twinge of anxiety flame up inside of you, but the calming feeling of the orb immediately dispersed it. You took a deep breath and just went for it.

“I like you.” You said simply, unsure how to put your feelings into words more eloquently. Zen’s face didn't betray any of his feelings and his lack of reaction sent another spike of anxiety through your chest. The silence between you two stretched on and if it hadn't been for the orb, you probably would've panicked and freaked out right there and then. When he still hadn't said anything after a minute, you willed yourself to go on.

“I mean, I like-like you. I... god, this is stupid. I love you. I love you so, so much. Every time I see you, I want to smile and kiss you and throw my arms around you and it hurts so much, but in a good way. Every time you laugh or comfort me, I lose another piece of my heart to you and at this point I'm pretty there's not much left that doesn't belong to you.” You felt a hot tear run down your cheek and for a moment you were struck with the fear of being rejected.

“I…” Zen started, but a laugh bubbled up from inside of him. “I love you as well.”

A gasp escaped you, but before you could reply, you felt two cool metal hands cradle your face and a second later Zenyatta pressed his faceplate against your mouth gently. When he pulled back you couldn't help but laugh.

“Is… is this not what humans do in this kind of situation?” Zen asked, voice full of worry. You quickly shook your head.

“No, no. I mean, yes! You did nothing wrong, Zen, it was just unexpected. And adorable.”

“Oh, I see.” He hummed. With a grin, you leaned forward and pressed another quick kiss to his face. 

Leaning back, you simply looked at him for a while, studying his face as you were overwhelmed with adoration and love for the omnic. As always, Zen seemed to sense your emotions and reached out to place a hand on your cheek once more. A bright smile spread on your lips.

“You know, after this I definitely won't be able to sleep.” You remarked.

“We can always sleep in tomorrow and besides, I'm sure we'll be able to find a way to keep busy.” He murmured. 

Your brain stuttered to a halt and you felt your face heat up as the implication hit you. Did your sweet, innocent omnic actually just say that? 

You didn't get to think about it for too long, because Zen broke into a joyful laugh and pulled you closer into a warm embrace. “You have a dirty mind, my dear.”

“You're the one implying dirty stuff!” You exclaimed, making him laugh even louder.

Suddenly you felt him shift and a moment later you found yourself lying on your side, Zenyatta next to you. His arm was slung over your waist, keeping you close.

“We can talk some more of you would like, but it is most likely wise to at least attempt to sleep. If there is one thing I know about humans, it's that they require a lot of sleep.” He said quietly.

“Yeah, you're right…” You agreed, nestling into the pillow. A small yawn escaped you a moment later and you felt your eyelids droop. Apparently you were actually starting to feel tired now. Within seconds you were dozing off, the sound of Zenyatta’s systems whirring softly, pulling you into a deep sleep.

“Sweet dreams, my love.” Zen mumbled, but you were already sleeping soundly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy, that's it, guys! I know it turned unbelievably cheesy in the end, but I just had to make it corny :')  
> Thank you so much for reading!!~❤


End file.
